Keely O'Brien

Taste the tart cherry jam of embarrassment or the spicy ginger of annoyance!

Secret Ingredients is a theatre project created by Keely O’Brien that uses cake to explore the intricacies of human relationships. Leading up to the performance, the public is invited to submit messages that they find too difficult to express directly to someone in their life. These messages are translated into cakes, which are delivered to the intended recipients as an edible form of communication. The project culminates in a live performance inspired by the cakes and the stories behind them.

Cake is served to the audience as part of the show, pairing sweet flavours with challenging messages: the tart cherry jam of embarrassment, the spicy ginger of annoyance, the salted dark chocolate of grief. Like overhearing tantalizing gossip at a neighbouring cafe table, Secret Ingredients satisfies a human itch to peek into intimate and relatable details of other people’s lives, while also inviting reflection on our own unspoken feelings.

Creator & Performer: Keely O’Brien
Sound Design: Alex Mah
Projection & Lighting Design: Andie Lloyd
Production & Stage Manager: Joël Azevedo
Access Consultant: V West
Additional Access Consultation: Amy Amantea
Props Builder/Buyer: Jesse Orr
Mentor: Maiko Yamamoto